Latest news with #CleanPowerLakeCounty
Chicago Tribune
01-07-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
EPA weighing how to address Lake County asbestos contamination; ‘It's a pretty isolated location'
Whether the southwest portion of the Illinois Beach Nature Preserve at the Illinois Beach State Park is ever open to the public remains a question, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is getting closer to remediating the asbestos contamination there. Currently inaccessible to the public both by physical means — there is a fence — and an EPA ruling, Dave Nadel, the EPA's community involvement coordinator for Region 5, which includes the Chicago area, said he is in the process of finalizing the decision-making. Adjacent to the Johns Manville EPA Superfund site, Nadel said the contamination occurred years ago — likely in the 1940s or 1950s — before it became part of the nature preserve in 1964. Not part of Manville's property, dumping occurred in the past. The discovery of asbestos was more recent. 'It came to the surface through freeze cycle,' Neal said, referring to the ground freezing and thawing as the seasons change. 'We will decide on remediation and disposal.' Twice in June the EPA came to Waukegan — June 4 and 26 — to learn the public's ideas about how to handle the site. The EPA is in the process of preparing the Record of Decision Document on Operable Area 6 of the Superfund site, which is the southwest portion of the nature preserve, with a goal of finishing it by fall. Presenting three options for public comment during both the June 4 and 26 meetings, one would be no action at all, another is periodic disposal of the asbestos with all public restrictions remaining in place, according to EPA documents. The projected cost is $554,000. A third option, which Nadel said is the preferred method, is much more detailed. There will be regular removal of asbestos by properly licensed personnel both before and after controlled burns, or after any wildfire that may occur. There will be an air monitoring program. Existing institutional controls will remain, like restricted access and land-use controls to limit disturbance activities, according to the EPA documents. Any access requires physical protective equipment and 'asbestos awareness training.' The forecast cost is $967,000. Additional hazard warning signage will be placed around the area's perimeter, according to the documents. Enhanced work project practices during burns, like 'wet method mop-up' and masks, will be part of the program. All removal will be done by hand and taken to approved landfills. Mayra Mendez, the executive director of Clean Power Lake County, an environmental activist organization, said at the June 27 meeting that her group prefers the enhanced method. Though she wants to see the entire Superfund site gone — not just Operable Area 6 — it provides the most protection. 'We have a lot of endangered spaces that affect our health,' Mendez said. 'The enhanced plan is the best, and the community deserves mitigation in this environmental-justice community.' Not the only public official at the meeting, Nadel was joined by representatives of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Lake County Health Department and the Illinois Nature Preserve Commission. A.J. Burlingham, an environmental health specialist with the state Health Department, said he was at the public information session to answer questions people may have about the impact of inhaling asbestos. 'The likelihood is very low at this site,' Burlingham said. 'It's a pretty isolated location that's been unavailable to the public for a long time. It's not like they had an opportunity to breathe much there.'
Chicago Tribune
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Group beginning a Wednesday tradition of protesting in Waukegan
A group of sign-carrying people — mostly seniors — march through downtown Waukegan Wednesdays with chants of 'dump Trump,' 'America is already great' 'Support our veterans,' 'leave education alone,' save our democracy,' 'support science research' and more. MaryFran Troha and Cass O'Keefe, both Waukegan residents, first met as members of Clean Power Lake County. They talked at a meeting of the Waukegan Historical Society in early March and felt they needed to do something about what they perceived was a threat to their country. 'We were getting angry about what was happening,' O'Keefe said. 'We were concerned for our country and about all the things DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) was cutting. We felt we had to publicize it.' O'Keefe and Troha led a group of 19 people carrying homemade signs with multiple messages Wednesday around a block bounded in downtown Waukegan, spreading their message of protest and hearing some supporting car honks. Troha said they decided to lead a march through downtown Waukegan starting March 19. They reached out on social media and made flyers to distribute, encouraging people to meet in front of the Lake County Courthouse & Administration Building and bring a sign. 'It's not just one issue. Last week we had 15 in the rain. We're growing. Last week, my sign was about Ukraine.' Trona said. 'This week it's about judges,' she added, referring to a placard which read 'Hands off judges. Obey the Constitution, not the 'King's' spite.' After gathering in front of the courthouse, the group began walking south on County Street holding their signs and chanting. They went west on Washington Street, headed north on Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue by City Hall, went east on Clayton Street and back to the courthouse. Signs indicated support for American democracy, USAID, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, education, healthcare, national parks, LBGTQ rights and more. Their continuing chants gave backing to those causes and others. 'Hey, hey, ho, ho, Trump and Elon have to go,' they chanted. 'Save our democracy. Restore federal funding. Hey Congress, do your job. No one is above the law.' Sue Grisham learned of the march on social media. She said she came to Waukegan for the march because it was easier than going to downtown Chicago. Her overall concern is preserving American democracy. 'Once you lose democracy, it's hard to get it back,' Grisham said. 'Trump and Musk are ripping everything apart. This feels like Nazism. This reminds me of what happened in Germany.' Nearly all the marchers were seniors. Troha said most of the marchers were retired and free to meet at the noon hour. They will be meeting each Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. in front of the courthouse before starting their march. 'We're growing each week,' Troha said. 'I'd like to make a contact at CLC (the College of Lake County) to reach younger people.' Though she is retired, O'Keefe said the cuts hit close to home. Her daughter was among the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) workers put on administrative leave because of DOGE cuts. She worked on overseas food programs. Jane Ferry was one of the marchers. She said every time she reads about something that occurs at the federal level, she becomes more concerned. Her worries for American democracy grow each day as something new is reported in the news from Washington. 'It's making me nervous and a little crazy,' Ferry said.
